The crocodile turns 80

Having won several Grand Slam titles and nicknamed ‘the crocodile’ by the American press (which later inspired his company’s logo) Rene Lacoste always chose to dress a little differently from the on-court fashion at that time. The standard uniform of the Twentieth Century was a long-sleeved shirt with a tie. Finding this too cumbersome, for obvious reasons, he instead sketched out his own design: a short sleeve knit shirt with an unstarched flat protruding collar – the earliest version of what would become the modern polo shirt. In 1933, he founded ‘La Societe Chemise Lacoste’, the famous French apparel company that produced the iconic short-sleeved cotton polo shirt.

To commemorate 80 years of Lacoste , archived sketches by Rene Lacoste have been pulled out and recreated. We give you an exclusive look at the ‘Edition Collection’ that revisits the brand’s iconic pieces: essentially the modern polo but with vintage touches.